Draft

ganization has taken a giant step toward respectability. If it’s Josh Allen, same old Browns. Pick: Darnold, QB, USC. 2. Giants: Saquon Barkley is the best player in the draft. If someone wants to trade here for a QB, that can be arranged. Pick: Barkley, RB, Penn State. 3. Jets from Colts: They like Baker Mayfield a lot. We do, too. A lot of the research suggests he’s the best decision-maker of these QB’s. Pick: Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma. 4. Browns from Texans: Make it Bradley Chubb, the top defender in the draft, or a trade down to get a corner or safety. And they’d be crazy to trade down here. Pick: Chubb, DE, North Carolina State. 5. Broncos: Josh Allen is the ultimate boom or bust prospect in the first round of this draft. He can look like John Elway on one throw and A.J. Feeley on the next. Speaking of Elway, the Broncos’ GM is desperate for a quarterback. Pick: Allen, QB, Wyoming. 6. Colts from Jets: New head coach Frank Reich could close his eyes and hit an area of need at this spot if the Colts don’t trade down with the Bills, who would take Josh Rosen. Quenton Nelson is one of the best players in the lottery. Pick: Nelson, OL, Notre Dame. 7. Buccaneers: This is high to draft a safety but Minkah Fitzpatrick is elite. Think Malcolm Jenkins only bigger and faster. Fitzpatrick can play anywhere in the back end. Pick: Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama. 8. Bears: We don’t totally buy Mike McGlinchey coming off here, but they’re the Bears. And they do need to build around QB Mitch Trubisky. Pick: McGlinchey, Dame. 9. 49ers: Tremaine Edmunds has been linked to the Niners, who need linebacker help everywhere. He projects everywhere, if you will. Pick: Edmunds, LB, Va. Tech. 10. Raiders: Denzel Ward is the top cornerback in the draft, and how many times have we heard you cannot have enough good corners? Pick: Ward, CB, Ohio State. 11. Dolphins: Roquan Smith would be an every-down playmaker for a Fins linebacker corps OT, Notre

They might have to go up to get Josh Rosen, but the Bills aren’t coming out of the draft without him. Cannot wait to hear him say Buffalo is a great place to play. Pick: Rosen, QB, UCLA. 13. Redskins: The defense needs an immovable object up front, and Vita Vea (6-4, 347) has Haloti Ngata qualities. Pick: Vea, DT, Washington. 14. Packers: Clay Matthews has a lot of mileage for a 31-year-old linebacker, and Roquan Smith would be a major help here. But we don’t see him drifting. Safety Derwin James is a solid upgrade, too. Pick: James, S, Florida. 15. Cardinals: If the Cardinals can’t move up to secure Rosen, they could trade back or roll with Lamar Jackson. Give them Jackson somehow, some way to begin their rebuilding project at quarterback. Pick: Jackson, QB, Louisville. 16. Ravens: Calvin Ridley is the most explosive receiver in the draft. It’s him or Alabama teammate Da’Ron Payne, the defensive tackle. Pick: Payne, DT, Alabama. 17. Chargers: The Bolts couldn’t stop the run last year. Defensive tackle Taven Bryan (6-5, 290) should help remedy that. Pick: Bryan, DT, Florida. 18. Seahawks: They need a pass rusher. If Marcus Davenport is still here, the Hawks take him off the board. Pick: Davenport, DE, UTSA. 19. Cowboys: They love Leighton Vander Esch probably as much for the LVE branding possibilities as his skills at linebacker. Pick: Vander Esch, LB, Boise State. 20. Lions: With Davenport gone, Isaiah Wynn would be a solid value. He’s blown holes open for Georgia running backs, who tend to be super productive. Wynn can also play tackle. Pick: Wynn, OG, Georgia. 21. Bengals from Bills: They could use an offensive tackle, just not as desperately as a pivot. Too early for a center, Kolton Miller (6-8, 309) has that rare size you can’t teach. Pick: Miller, OT, UCLA. 22. Bills from Chiefs: DJ Moore is a good guy to upgrade the wide receiver corps. He clocked 4.42 in the 40 at the combine and was productive catching balls thrown by three quarterbacks at UM, which is the way it is at Buffalo.

Patriots from Rams: Rashan Evans is an every-down performer who upgrades the linebacker corps. Pick: Evans, LB, Alabama. 24. Panthers: Help is needed in the back end, and Josh Jackson can use his playmaking skills at corner or safety. Pick: Jackson, CB, Iowa. 25. Titans: New head coach Mike Vrabel needs a pass rusher and Harold Landry is the best one left on his board. The Boston College product is a disruptor, just like Vrabel. Pick: Landry, OLB, Boston College 26. Falcons: They could use a tight end, a pass rusher and a wide receiver but the athletic and just plain fast Will Hernandez immediately helps the offensive line. Pick: Hernandez, G, UTEP. 27. Saints: If Mike Gesicki is there, the Saints ought to grab him as he’s the most talented pass-catching tight end in the lottery. That position has been a need since Jimmy Graham was traded. Pick: Gesicki, TE, Penn State. 28. Steelers: Blue collar tight end Dallas Goedert would fit here if the Steelers can’t find linebacker help after losing Ryan Shazier. Pick: Goedert, TE, South Dakota State. 29. Jaguars: Jaire Alexander can play just about any coverage technique, including press. You can never have enough press corners, right? Pick: Alexander, CB, Louisville. 30. Vikings: Offensive line would be a good place to upgrade, considering the investment in Kirk Cousins. If that isn’t available, cornerback Isaiah Oliver can upgrade the depth of an aging secondary. Pick: Oliver, CB, Colorado. 31. Patriots: Wouldn’t be surprised if Bill Belichick ditched this fairly, valueless first-day pick and traded back. If the Patriots stick, there’s Ronnie Harrison. Pick: Harrison, S, Alabama. 32. EAGLES: They could trade out of the round. If they hang in there, we don’t think Joe Douglas is taking running back unless it was Barkley. A wide receiver like Calvin Ridley could be available. But we expect Douglas to go out of the box as he did last year with defensive end Derek Barnett. What highly productive college player had a nasty combine this year? Offensive tackle Orlando Brown.